A Cultural Analysis presentation by Joshua Perna and Ikenna Chikezie.

2. Tyler Perry, the African-American
screenwriter, director, actor, playwright,
producer, and author, is arguably one of the
most successful black men in the movie
industry today. However, does his work
include the controlling images of racist
stereotypes?
We will be analyzing Perry’s 2005 film
“Diary of a Mad Black Woman” to see
whether or not Perry’s work is perpetuating
or challenging black stereotypes.

3. Stereotypes Present in the Film
Analyzed in congruence with Orbe & Harris’ “Controlling Images.”

4. Madea
A perversion of the Mammy
stereotype, described by Orbe &
Harriss as an “asexual…
caregiver,” Madea promotes
retribution through illegal and
violent activity, such as
possessing an illegal firearm,
threatening assault, and
destruction of property, which
further reinforces criminal
stereotypes among the black
community.

5. Uncle Joe
A mixture of the “Sambo” and
“Coon” archetypes, described as
“lazy [and] jolly” and “foolish [and]
idiotic” respectively by Orbe &
Harris, Uncle Joe is a sexually
aggressive old man who takes
breaks from sitting around by
verbally assaulting passersby and
smoking marijuana. This
character perpetuates stereotypes
of laziness, sexually deviancy,
and criminal behavior.

6. Christopher
Although Christopher is a wealthy
and successful lawyer, his
legitimacy is tainted by
implications of illicit activity which
propelled him to his status, as
well as his physical violence and
infidelity towards his wife. This
undermines the legitimacy of the
image of a successful black man,
insinuating success can only be
gained through criminal means.

7. Orlando
Although Orlando is a morally
upright character with redeemable
qualities, he still fits Orbe & Harris’
description of the “Buck”
stereotype: “strong and sexually
powerful.” Portrayed as a steel
worker, Orlando is hyper-sexualized
by the story’s
protagonist.

8. The Impact on Social Inequality
These characters, who are intended to be comic
exaggerations of members of black society, unfortunately have a
large impact on the image of the people they portray, and
perpetuate social inequality.
The behavior of these characters reinforces gross
prejudices. Madea, who often totes an illegal firearm in attempts to
get her way, uses anger and violence to achieve justice. Uncle Joe,
a man who does little else than loll around the house and sexually
assault women, reinforces stereotypes that belittle the moral fiber
of the average black man. Christopher’s journey suggests that
African Americans cannot achieve success comparable to whites’
without some sort of illegal conduct.

9. Although these stereotypes are created as
exaggerations and are meant in jest, they have very
serious repercussions.
Due to the incredible success of Perry’s movies,
these character archetypes are serving as examples
of African Americans to an inconceivably large
audience. Although the film is intended for members
of the black community who understand that these
characters are exaggerations, for many people, this
film will serve as a first-hand introduction to
black culture, thus horribly misrepresenting law-abiding,
hard working African Americans.

10. Production
Who, Why, and How

11. Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry, the writer and star of
“Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” has
a net worth of $400 Million, making
him literally the richest black actor in
the world. After “Diary,” Perry has
gone on to write a whopping 15 films
since, as well as writing and
producing 6 major network television
shows. Despite his targeted
demographic of an African American
audience, due to his sheer success,
it can be agreed that Perry is
exposed to a far larger audience.

12. For whom, and why?
 Perry, as an African American and self-professed
Christian writer, sought to create a film in the
“gospel” genre. With a superficially positive
message, Perry most likely wanted to create a feel-good
comedy with moral substance. With its all
black cast and constant allusion to African American
culture, it can be assumed the film was marketed to
an African American audience. From the domestic
gross of over $50 Million and the financial
prosperity of Perry’s subsequent ventures, we can
call this text a success.

13. Interpretation
The Redeeming and Damning Qualities
of the Film

14. Can it Challenge?
 It would be myopic to state that this film is totally
devoid of substance. Although Madea totes a gun,
she helps Helen move past her abusive husband
and back into church. Although Orlando personifies
the rugged sexuality of the “Buck” stereotype, he is a
completely respectable and admirable man. The
film’s message is that Helen, a black woman,
deserves love and respect and shouldn’t settle for
abuse. This overarching theme helps challenge
misconceptions about the substance of a typical
African American household.

15. Why do Stereotypes
Persist?
 This film has a very specific target audience: African
Americans. Just as “art imitates life,” many stereotypes
are based on real constants in African American culture
and are further exaggerated for the sake of humor. Any
person who comes from these communities can see the
playfulness of the portrayals and continue to enjoy these
parodies.
 However, the impact these stereotypes can have on the
image of African American culture as a whole is entirely
negative. A person who is not from these communities
may misconstrue these parodies as true portrayals.
Thusly, this impact should be taken into account when
making films.

16. In Summary:
 Tyler Perry, African American success story and
multi-media mogul, has made a very substantial
living playing on stereotypes that are found
humorous by a black audience. However, despite
the underlying positive message of his films, Perry’s
productions are overall harmful to the image of the
typical African American, perpetuating unflattering
controlling images.